Does rural industrial integration promote farmers’ green production?

Introduction Advancing rural industrial integration (RII) is a crucial route for fostering agricultural modernization transformation. However, limited attention has been devoted to its effects on green production (GP). Methods This paper empirically analyzes the influence of RII on farmers’ GP behavior by employing panel data from the China Land Economic Survey (CLES) 2020–2022. Results The results reveal that RII can significantly promote farmers’ adoption of GP, and this conclusion remains valid after endogeneity and robustness tests. Regarding the degree and types of RII, greater diversity of RII models leads to a stronger effect on GP adoption. Meanwhile, internal integration, multifunctional expansion, and technology penetration significantly promote farmers’ GP, whereas the effect of industrial chain extension is not significant. Mechanism analysis shows that RII can promote GP by facilitating large-scale land management, agricultural technology training, and social capital accumulation. In addition, heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive effect of RII on GP is more pronounced in villages with higher governance efficiency and better infrastructure. Discussion These findings not only provide micro-level evidence for understanding the environmental benefits of RII, but also suggest new pathways for promoting agricultural green transformation.